Prestage Fighters: This Fight Isn’t Over Until We Have A Factory Farm Moratorium

This morning Wright County Supervisors voted 3-0 to approve the Prestage Slaughterhouse proposal in spite of strong local and statewide opposition.  CCI members say now it is more important than ever to fight for a moratorium on new or expanding factory farms until Iowa has less than 100 polluted waterways.

“I’m not done fighting for clean air, clean water, strong communities, and for the independent family farmer.  The Supervisors’ decision makes me want to fight harder than ever to stop the expansion of corporate ag in our state,” said Kathy Schnell, Belmond resident and CCI member.Iowans across the state have been organizing since March to stop Prestage, an out-of-state corporation and the nation’s 5^th largest hog producer, from building a 22,000 kill per day slaughter house.In May clean water fighters organized and successfully pressured the Mason City City Council to deny the use of public money for Prestage which ultimately shut down the project.  This victory in Mason City shows that opposition to this polluting industry is growing.“We’re not against agriculture – we’re against corporate ag’s system that traps farmers in a cycle of debt. We’re against agribusiness that puts their private profits above our communities and above our environment.  We can do better.  It’s time for big corporations like Prestage, Iowa Select, Monsanto, and others to get out of Iowa,” said CCI member and organizer Erica Blair.CCI members say public taxpayer money should not be used to prop up a system of agriculture that pollutes our state.Blair continued, “We will continue this fight by pushing for mandatory regulations that protect our communities and environment and demanding that corporate ag pay to clean up the pollution they create – not the taxpayers.